Book Review: CREAM CARAMEL AND MURDER (Holly Holmes Cozy Clinary Mystery Series Book 2) by K. E. O'Connor

About the Book:

With its stunning turrets and beautiful rose gardens, I always thought Audley Castle was perfect, set in the idyllic English village of Audley St. Mary. It’s a place I love to call home. But behind the trimmed hedgerows, stately gardens, and birdsong, a killer is waiting… 

After being forced to close my charming café in this quaint little village, I'm thrilled to get a job in the Audley Castle kitchens, making divine treats for visitors and serving the Audley family who live in the castle. 

The joy fades when I take my beloved dog for a walk, and he leads us to the body of a family friend, Kendal Jakes. Seemingly caught in the act of tampering with evidence by the castle’s security team, I become the number one murder suspect! It’ll take more than my skills with a piping bag to solve this crisis. 

As fingers get pointed at me, I have no choice but to take matters into my flour-covered hands and clear my name. As I snoop, I discover old rivalry, jealousy, and long-standing grudges. 

Having mastered the art of creating a perfectly fluffy souffle, I’m known for my determination to get things right, and I won’t rest until I uncover the truth about this murder. Even if doing so puts me in the killer’s line of sight. 

Review 

The castle setting is superb and Holly is not only a great pastry chef, but a wonderful, if somewhat naive main character. Her cafe closed, she takes a job at the castle and makes friends with Lady Alice and Lord Rupert. When one of Rupert's visiting friends is killed, Holly is cast as the killer and they rally behind her while she continues sleuthing - despite the admonitions of the head of security. The memorial garden is very inviting. 

The primary characters are well-developed and hard to forget. The pace is steady and the ending is somewhat of a surprise. Throughout the book, Holly is baking sweets and trying to fix an old bread recipe. They all sounded delicious! With vivid descriptions and hints of romance amidst the murder investigation, this one has the hallmarks of a cozy mystery.

AMAZON

About K E O'Connor 

K.E. O'Connor is the author of the Witch Haven mystery series, the Crypt Witch cozy mysteries, the Lorna Shadow ghost mysteries, the Holly Holmes baking mysteries, the Zee Town paranormal cozy series, and the Old Sarum mystery series, along with other titles available if you cast the right spell. She can imagine dragons, taste cookies when they aren't even there, and hear the crack of a witch's broom at a hundred paces. 

K.E. (the K stands for Karen) lives in the United Kingdom (it isn't very united, but that's a mystery for another time) among the mystical stones and fairy creatures of Somerset. She graduated from the Universities of Southampton and Reading, where she received degrees in Archaeology and Cognitive Evolution (both highly entertaining to take part in, but with the career options of a ground witch's toe bone.) This is the second in the series but easily read as a stand-alone. 

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